


68. Four Rowdy Generations: Alex brings Luke home to his family in Sweden

by alley_oops, jennandanica



Series: Citadel: Luke Evans and Alex Skarsgard [68]
Category: Actor RPF, Citadel (Journalfen RPG), True Blood RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-11-02
Updated: 2008-11-02
Packaged: 2018-01-01 14:10:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1044870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alley_oops/pseuds/alley_oops, https://archiveofourown.org/users/jennandanica/pseuds/jennandanica





	68. Four Rowdy Generations: Alex brings Luke home to his family in Sweden

_**Four Rowdy Generations: Alex Skarsgard brings Luke Evans home to his family in Sweden**_  
[backdated to mid-July, 2012; the boys have [left New Zealand](http://www.journalfen.net/users/skarsgard/18020.html), and taken [a break in London to get tattooed](http://www.journalfen.net/users/citadel_luke/7937.html). Now they are in Alex's homeland of Sweden, and Luke is meeting Alex's whole family for the first time.]

"English," Alex reminds his family in a stern voice, but there's a bright smile on his face. "My grandmother's English is non-existent," he explains in an aside to his lover. "My mother's is just terrible. Everyone else, though?" he shakes his head at his noisy family, nearly overflowing his parents' massive dining room. "No excuses."

Luke laughs. "Wait til you meet my grandparents. They'll speak English to you but I doubt you'll understand it any better than their Welsh," he says with a grin, smiling around the table at everyone. Alex's family has been so welcoming, so accepting already, it blows his mind.

One of Alex's brothers shoves tall shot glasses full of vodka at them. "Luke, how do you say, 'Cheers' in Welsh? Is it like _slainte_?"

"There's not an actual equivalent but we usually say _Iechyd da_ ," Luke says. "It means good health."

"Yeck-- what?" Janne squints at him, then waves his free hand expansively. "Good enough," he exclaims, lifting his glass.

Alex grins, taking hold of his own glass. "You first," he tells Luke, wanting to hear the phrase another time before he attempts to pronounce it.

Luke grins back and holds up his glass. " _Iechyd da_!"

People scattered around the tables join him in a rousing toast, with varying degrees of accuracy. Alex slams his shot back, wincing at the quick burn. And Janne refills his glass the second he sets it back on the table, just like Alex knew he would.

"Luke, how do you like Sweden so far?" Elin asks, leaning over to cover his hand with hers.

"It's beautiful," Luke replies. "And everyone's so friendly. I'm having a wonderful time. Especially with your brother showing me around." He smiles over at Alex.

"Watch out, he'll get you into trouble," Stellan says, giving his oldest son an amused grin. He can't say he hasn't been surprised by the introduction of Luke into their lives, but so far it seems like his boy might have made a good choice for once.

"Oh my god, yes. Do _not_ let him drag you up on top of the TV tower," Elin urges, passing her glass to Janne for a refill.

"What?" Alex looks at his sister incredulously. "Of course I'm going to drag him up there. It's the tallest building in the city."

Elin scoffs. "You got _arrested_ last time, stupid."

"Eh. Arrested." Alex gives her a dismissive shrug, then tells his lover, "The view is amazing."

"Why did you get arrested?" Luke asks. "Are you not supposed to go up there?" He glances at Elin, hoping she'll enlighten him if his lover won't.

"Oh no, they give paid tours of the tower. You're just not supposed to break in and climb up on the roof," she explains with a roll of her eyes.

Luke laughs. "Really? You did that?" he leans in close, shoulder against shoulder with Alex. "Not that I'm really surprised." He grins.

"The view is better from the roof," Alex says, like that explains it all. He grins back at Luke, enchanted by the look in his lover's eyes. And he closes the distance between them before he even thinks about it, only barely managing to catch himself at the last possible instant and kiss Luke on the cheek instead of on the lips.

"Says the guy who just kissed me on the cheek," Luke teases, his voice lowered, his words meant only for Alex.

Alex grins again, ducking his head. And he suddenly becomes aware of the awkward silence that's risen around them.

Too many people abruptly try to break it at once. Elin turns to ask their mom something, loudly, and Janne clinks a few of the shot glasses together, knocking two over and sloshing liquor onto the tablecloth. Really it's a wonder that Christer can be heard at all.

"Luke, are you always gay?" he asks, his accent a bit thicker than his other brothers'.

"Fucking hell, Christer!" Alex snaps. "What the fuck kind of question is that?"

"It's a reasonable question -- ow!" Christer turns to glare at his sister. "Don't fucking kick me!"

"It's okay. I don't mind," Luke says, although he can't help but blush a little. "Yes, I'm always gay."

"You don't have to... god," Alex mutters, shaking his head. He glares daggers at Christer, trying to telepathically warn him to _shut up now_.

Alex's grandmother pipes up loudly with a jumble of Swedish, and Alex swiftly answers her in kind, hoping to cut off any possible response from his idiot brother.

"Mutti says you are very handsome," Alex's mother translates for Luke, giving him a smile.

Luke smiles at Alex's mum and then his grandmother, his blush deepening. " _Tack så mycket_ ," he says softly and a little haltingly, with about the only Swedish he's learned. Well, that's fit for public consumption.

Alex beams at his lover, so fucking proud. And his family instantly dissolves into praise for Luke, encouragement and smiles, although Christer does try to correct his pronunciation. Elin kicks him again.

Stellan firmly turns the conversation aside, pressing Luke for details of his career and asking intelligent questions about projects he has in the works. Food appears on the table in a steady stream, and Janne opens a third bottle of vodka, as well as some Fernet Branca for their grandmother. It's a noisy blur that perfectly encapsulates _home_ for Alex, but he quietly observes Luke to see how he's getting on, worrying that his only-child upbringing could never have prepared him for dinner with four generations of Skarsgards.

It's crazy trying to keep up with all the different conversations at the table, but Luke's having a great time. He tries to keep track of how many drinks he's had, not wanting a repeat performance of the day before they left Wellington, but it's impossible. Thank god it's just shots, and that everyone's drinking. Alex's dad is great, asking just the right amount of questions in just the right way. And he grins at Elin, promising that yes, he'll give her a live performance of his songs from Rent and La Cava as promised. And that they'll manage to find some time to do something with Greger while they're here. He tries talking to Alex's mother and they do pretty well given both their accents but it's a relief to sit back a little, leaning against Alex, and just listen to the buzz around him. There's no doubt this is a family that loves each other and he'd be proud to be a part of it.

"You all right?" Alex asks him softly, wanting to check in but not wanting to draw attention -- just in case the answer's in the negative. He gently rubs Luke's arm, then looks up as Mats's long-time girlfriend appears at Luke's shoulder.

"That's a lovely ring," Tracey says, jiggling nine month-old Sophie on her hip and smiling down at Luke. "Such a gorgeous design. Is it from your family?"

Luke nods to Alex and then glances up at Tracey. "Thanks. It's actually a gift from Alex," he says, holding his hand up so she can have a better look.

"Oh." Surprise flashes across her face before she blanks her expression once more, taking his fingers in hers and inspecting the ring up close.

"Wait. What?" Elin instantly tunes in, standing up to lean across the table and grab Luke's wrist. "Alex?"

"Relax, El," he says quietly, but there's a definite warning in his voice.

Tracey takes a step back at that tone, but it's a trick that simply doesn't work on a younger sister. "It looks like a wedding ring," Elin announces, and conversations across the wide dining room stop dead in their tracks.

"Christ," Alex mutters, and leans back in his chair like it's no big deal. "It's a ring, Elin. Get over it."

Luke smiles a bit at that. He knows it's not just a ring, which is what Alex seems to be implying, but he also knows how his lover feels about this kind of attention and that kind of commitment. "It's not a wedding ring," he says simply, leaving it at that and hoping someone will let them move on.

Regret stabs through Alex in an instant - fuck, why is he such an asshole sometimes? - and he places his hands flat on the table, getting to his feet. "We're going to head out," he says, looking over at his mom. "I want to take Luke out to see the sun tonight." Here in Sweden they're all used to the summer-long midnight sun, but he's guessing it might be a new experience for his lover. "We'll swing by tomorrow."

His words prompt a bustle of movement as people get up to say goodbye and trade opinions about what he and Luke should busy themselves with during their visit. Alex smiles, watching his mom circle the table to take Luke into her arms and kiss his cheek.

Elin follows suit, and whispers, "Remember, no TV tower."

Luke laughs. He hugs and kisses everyone goodbye, thanking them for making him feel so welcome, before taking Alex's hand and patiently waiting, smiling, while his lover says his good-byes and exchanges a few words with his family in Swedish that totally go over his head before he leads them out.

* * *

It's late - really late - by the time they emerge from their hotel once more, but you couldn't tell the time by the sky. The sun is shining as bright as high noon, and the metropolitan streets are lively with tourists and a smattering of locals. "Do you feel up to a walk?" Alex asks his lover, slipping on his sunglasses and pulling a nondescript gray ball cap onto his head. "There's a really nice park just a few blocks south of here."

"Sure. That sounds lovely," Luke says, smiling at Alex's 'disguise'. Although he might find himself in the same situation some day, right now his lover is the one who's really recognizable, especially here.

"Cool." Alex aborts an automatic reach for Luke - when did he get so accustomed to holding hands with his lover? - and turns left at the footpath. "I was thinking maybe tomorrow we could go to the photography museum, if you want. And the Vasa -- they've got a seventeenth-century Viking warship there, it's so fucking rad. I mean, the boat itself is this incredible piece of art." He pulls his jacket a little closer against the wind, and stuffs his hands into the pockets of his beat-up blue jeans. "And I think we should get a picture taken at City Hall. They've got a copy of your tattoo on the tower." He grins.

"As long as you don't make me show off my tattoo for the picture," Luke says with a small chuckle, nudging his shoulder against Alex's. "I'd love to see the warship, and the museum. All of it sounds good to me." And to be honest, he's happy doing anything as long as he's doing it with Alex.

"Awesome." They walk in silence for a few minutes until they come to the Royal National City Park, by far the greenest place on the island, and probably in the entire city. Trees tower overhead and Alex takes a deep breath of the fresh air, still chewing over what he wants to say... what he needs to say.

"Wow. This is beautiful," Luke says, looking around, in awe of their surroundings.

"Yeah. I've always loved coming here," Alex says softly, tilting his head back to see the tops of the trees. They still seem just as gigantic to him as they did when he was a little kid. And he really doesn't know how to approach the subject any better than just diving in. "I, um. Your ring. I wasn't very honest about it today." He clears his throat, looking off into the distance at the water. "I guess I really haven't been honest with you at all." It's painful to admit.

Luke looks at Alex, his stomach dropping. "What do you mean?" he asks, hoping he sounds steadier than he feels.

"I..." _Fuck._ "What Elin said... It is a wedding ring. I mean, it's not, obviously, because I never asked you," Alex rushes to add. He hunches his shoulders and studies the scuffed toes of his boots like they're absolutely fascinating. "But I didn't ask you... I figured if I didn't ask, then you couldn't say no." He sighs, and when he speaks again, his voice is even quieter. He's never been good with genuine apologies. Bullshit ones, sure. But this is different. With Luke, it's everything. "That's fucking crap, I know. I'm sorry."

Luke shakes his head, breathing at least a small sigh of relief. "You don't need to be sorry," he says softly, reaching out to link their hands together, to hell with where they are and whether anyone might see them. "But I'm still confused. Did you mean to ask? Or did you ask? Are you asking now?"

Alex stammers a little at the question - questions - but he links his fingers tightly with Luke's. "I want to marry you, Luke," he says softly, turning to meet his lover's eyes. "I'm scared as fucking hell. But I love you, and I want to spend my life with you, and whatever symbol of that commitment there is, I want it with you."

Luke bites at his lower lip for a moment, worrying it between his teeth. He'd never really imagined he'd hear Alex say those words, or anything like them really. Sure, he'd thought for a moment when Alex gave him the ring, that _maybe_... but then he'd just assumed it was a symbol of their commitment to each other. Actual marriage though? That's a whole different thing and he's not really sure how his parents will react to the idea. "That's still not asking me," he says softly, with a gentle smile, deciding he'll deal with the other issue later. "I want to hear you say it. Please?"

 _Christ_. Really, though, it's a reasonable request. It's just... hard. Alex swallows around a lump in his throat, and slowly gets down on one knee in the grass. _Without_ checking first to see if anyone's watching them, because it just doesn't fucking matter to him anymore. "Luke," he says softly, his heart beating at warp speed. "Will you marry me?"

Luke stares at Alex, totally forgetting himself. He asked for the words but Alex is on bended knee! Completely stunned, he just nods before realizing he'd better answer. "Yes," he whispers, already starting to tear up. "Yes, I'll marry you."

It takes a long slow moment for the answer to register, because when Luke first got that stunned look on his face, Alex was certain he had miscalculated his lover's feelings very very badly. But then Alex shakes himself and his head clears, his eyes brighten. "Yes? You said yes," he says softly, and somehow finds his feet again. "Oh my god, you said yes."

"Of course I said yes," Luke whispers, wrapping his arms around Alex's neck and kissing him so hard it makes his teeth ache. "I love you so much. I can't imagine my life without you."

"Yeah, but--" Alex buries his protest in Luke's mouth. Because he may get stupid sometimes, but he's not _that_ stupid, so much so that he'd argue when his lover is granting him paradise. He tangles his fingers in Luke's hair, the other arm wrapped tightly around his lover's waist, and to hell with anyone else.

"But what?" Luke teases, smiling, breaking for breath, Alex still held close.

"But nothing," Alex answers with a wide grin. "I've got absolutely everything."  



End file.
